Fabrique d'Ebauches de Chézard

Fabrique d'Ebauches de Chézard was a maker of ebauches in Chézard-St-Martin in the Val-de-Ruz near Fontainemelon. Originally established in 1892 as Sandoz & Cie., the company was known as Manufacture de Chézard, Albaret, Kohn, & Cie. in 1904 and Albaret Chézard & Cie. in 1911. David Mader took over the factory in 1939, becoming known as Mader & Co.

Fabrique d'Ebauches de Chézard was brought into Ebauches SA in 1936, where it remained until 1969 when it was merged into nearby FHF. The watch manufacturer remained independent and was taken over in 2010 by Axesus GmbH. It appears to be defunct as of 2022.

History

The young Auguste Sandoz was director of the Neuchâtel Watchmaking School from 1883, when he was just 20 years old, to 1887. According to an 1893 court conviction, Sandoz was approached by Japy Frères to develop an inexpensive mass-produced watch movement in 1890. He spent two years working on the design, including traveling to America to research the latest tools, but failed to produce a satisfactory movement for Japy. At the same time, Sandoz and his assistant, Mr. Poincenot, approached various Japy employees to set up a factory in Chézard to produce the working design, which was produced secretly. The secret was leaked, and Japy sued Sandoz when they learned what had happened.

In 1892, Sandoz was able to convince the town of Chézard in the Val-de-Ruz to put up 100,000 francs to build a factory to produce his movement. In return, Sandoz agreed to employ at least 125 citizens of the town, which is located close to Fontainemelon and the successful FHF factory there. The factory was in operation as Sandoz & Cie. in Grand-Chézard by 1894, advertising as a "manufacture de montres et petite mécanique de précision." Other period advertisements show a state of the art lathe produced there as well as an 18 ligne cylinder escapement movement.

Sandoz died in 1905 at 42 years of age.